The present invention relates to the field of the cosmetic and microsurgical treatments. In particular it refers to a microdermabrasion apparatus and to its most relevant components, operating by a pressurized flow of air and reducing substances, preferably corundum (Al203).
Several technical solutions to produce a microdermabrasion apparatus are known, all comprising vacuum means and/or pressurizing means which send a flow of air and reducing substances on a tissue portion to be treated and then remove from that portion the abraded particles. Such solutions have a drawback in that the sterility of the various components is not guaranteed, unless by complicated and expensive procedures.
Italian patent application Fl94A000131 describes a dermabrasion apparatus operating by a flow of reducing substances. The apparatus comprises a compressor, a vacuum pump, and three detachable onepiece components, a mixing bottle, a collecting bottle for the abraded particles and a contact handle to touch the tissue to be treated. Those parts are preferably made of glass or plastic material and can be easily sterilized.
However, such apparatus has some drawbacks due to the fact that the air pressurization is performed by a compressor placed inside the apparatus and therefore difficult to be sterilized. Thus, during the treatment, the compressor could be infected by bacteria which would be afterwards conveyed on the patient""s skin by the pneumatic system. Furthermore, the above-mentioned one-piece components are sterilized after the apparatus has been used, but they do not guarantee a proper sterility when the apparatus performs succeeding treatments on different patients. A further drawback is that dangerous contaminations can occur when the mixing bottle is filled with new reducing substances or when the collecting bottle is cleaned of the abraded particles.
A first object of the invention is to ensure the highest sterility of the apparatus components in whatever circumstances, also when sterilization means as UV ray or autoclave are not available. A further object of the invention is to obtain easy replaceable, low cost apparatus components.
The above objects have been reached according to the invention by a microdermabrasion apparatus provided with disposable sterilized components consisting of easily interchangeable one piece blocks. Such components comprehend an already filled mixing bottle containing the reducing substances, a collecting bottle for the abraded tissue particles, and a handle contacting the tissue during the treatment. All those components are manufactured and sealed in a sterilized environment. According to an embodiment of the invention, the components are made of plastic material, preferably polycarbonate, in order to lower the costs, and to make them particulary suitable for disposable use. According to a still further embodiment of the invention, after manufacturing, the components can be packed in sterilized packagings to form either a single component or a multi-component kit. Thus, all the possible contamination risks are avoided, from the manufacturing to the use of the components. In order to avoid the contamination of the reducing substances, preferably corundum, with particles of the handle material abraded in the use, the portion of the handle most subjected to the abrasion effect is an abrasion-proof block made of a suitable hard material, for example ceramics. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the source of pressurized air, or of an other suitable gas, is constituted by one disposable bottle of sterilized pressurized air. In such a way sterility is guaranteed to all the apparatus components exposed to contamination risks, for each single treatment. A further advantage is due to the low cost production of such components.